Literary Terms and Techniques with grade level designation
CONCRETE Elements of literature—those devices which can be pulled directly from a piece of literature
alliteration-The repetition of initial sounds. (e.g., silence surged softly) [7]
allusion-A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. [9]
anachronism-Something out of its normal time period. [10]
analogy-A comparison that explains or describes one subject by pointing out its similarities to another subject. [7]
anecdote-A brief story about an interesting, amusing, or strange event. It is told to entertain or to make a point. [7]
antagonist-A character of force in conflict with a main character, or protagonist. [8]
antithesis-Involves a direct contrast of structurally parallel word groups, generally for the purpose of contrast. (e.g., sink or swim) [11]
aphorism-A general truth or observation about life, usually stated concisely and pointedly. (e.g., A penny saved is a penny earned.) [11]
apostrophe-A figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent person or personified quality. (e.g., “Oh death, where is thy sting?”) [9]
archetype-The term is applied to an image, a descriptive detail, a plot pattern, or a character type that occurs frequently in literature, myth , religion, or folklore and is, therefore, believed to evoke profound emotion because it touches the unconscious memory and thus calls into play illogical but strong responses. [8]
aside-Words spoken by a character in a play to the audience or to another character, that are not supposed to be overheard by the others on stage. [9]
assonance-The repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables. (e.g., purple curtain; young love) [9]
character-A person, animal, or a natural force presented as a person appearing in a literary work. [7]
dynamic character-undergoes change [7]
static character-stays the same [7]
flat character-has only one or two personality traits. He or she is one-dimensional and can be summed up by a single phrase. [9]
round character-has more dimensions to his or her personality. He or she is complex and multi-faceted, like real people. [9]
climax-The point of greatest emotion or suspense in a plot; thehigh point. [7]
colloquialism-An expression used in informal conversation but not accepted universally in formal speech or writing. A colloquialism lies between the upper level of dignified formal, academic, or “literary” language and the lower level of slang. (e.g., yeah) [8]
conflict-A struggle between opposing forces or characters in a literary work. [7]
external-conflict between persons, between a person and nature, between a person and society [7]
internal-conflict within a person struggling for mastery within his or her mind. (e.g., conscience) [7]
consonance-The repetition in two or more words of final consonants in stressed syllables. (e.g., east & west) [9]
controlling image-An image or metaphor which runs throughout the work. [11]
couplet-Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme. [7]
denouement-All the problems or mysteries of the plot are unraveled; resolution. [7]
description-A portrait in words of a person, place, or object. [7]
details-The facts given by the author or speaker as support for the attitude or tone. [7]
dialect-The form of a language spoken by people in a particular region or group. Pronunciation, vocabulary, and sentence structure are affected by dialect to give a story “local color.” [9]
dialogue-A conversation between characters. [7]
diction-Word choice. To discuss a writer’s diction is to consider the vocabulary used, the appropriateness of the words, and the vividness of the language. [7-12]
epiphany-A sudden understanding or realization which prior to this was not thought of or understood. [8]
epithet-An adjective or other descriptive phrase that is regularly used to characterize a person, place, or thing. (e.g., Alexander the Great; Honest Abe) [9]
euphemism-A device where being indirect replaces directness to avoid unpleasantness. (e.g., garbage man=sanitation engineer; died=passed away) [7]
falling action-The action that follows the climax, leading to the resolution. [7]
figurative language-Writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally. (simile, metaphor, personification, etc.) [7]
flashback-A section of a literary work that interrupts the sequence of events to relate an event from an earlier time. [7]
foreshadowing-The use in a literary work of clues that suggests events that have yet to occur. [7]
hyperbole-A deliberate exaggeration or overstatement for special effect. [9]
idiom-A use of words, a grammatical construction peculiar to a given language or an expression that cannot be translated literally into a second language. (e.g., “You’re pulling my leg!”) [8]
image-A word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell. [7]
imagery-The descriptive or figurative language used in literature to create word pictures for the reader. [7]
inversion-A change in the normal word order. [9]
irony-The general name given to literary techniques that involve difference between appearance and reality, expectation and result, or meaning and intention. [7]
dramatic irony-A condition between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true. [9]
situational irony-A type of irony in which an event occurs that directly contrasts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience. [9]
verbal irony-A type of irony in which words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant. [9]
juxtaposition-A poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another. [11]
literal language-Uses words in their ordinary senses. The opposite of figurative language. [7]
local color-The use of specific details describing the dialect, dress, customs, and scenery associated with a particular region or section of the country. [8]
metaphor-A figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else. (e.g., “Life is a broken-winged bird.”) [7]
meter-A generally regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry. [8]
metonymy-A figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. (e.g., The White House issued a statement today.) [12]
monologue-An extended speech by one character in a play, story, or poem. [10]
motif-A simple device that serves as a basis for an expanded narrative. (e.g., A rose is a motif that runs through many love poems.) [11]
motivation-A reason that explains or partially explains a character’s thoughts, feelings, actions, or behavior. [7]
narrator-A speaker who tells a story. The narrator may be either a character in the story or an outside observer. [7]
first person narrator-A character in a story who is telling the story. Readers see only what this character sees, hears, etc. [7]
omniscient narrator-An all-knowing third-person narrator. This type of narrator can reveal to readers what the characters think and feel. [7]
onomatopoeia-The use of words that imitate sounds. [7]
oxymoron-A figure of speech that combines two opposing or contradictory ideas. (e.g., jumbo shrimp; big baby) [8]
paradox-A statement that seems contradictory or absurd but that expresses the truth. [11]
parallelism-The repetition of a grammatical structure. [11]
personification-A type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics. [7]
plot-The sequence of events or actions in a literary work. [7]
point of view-The vantage point from which a story is told. [7]
first-person-The story is told by one of the characters in his or her own words, and the reader is told only what this character knows and observes. [7]
third person-limited-The narrator focuses on the thoughts and feelings of just one character. [7]
omniscient-All-knowing observer who describes and comments on all the characters and actions in a story. [7]
protagonist-The central character of a drama, novel, short story, or narrative poem. [8]
pun-A play on words based on different meanings of words that sound alike. [9]
quatrain-A stanza or poem made up of four lines, usually with a definite rhythm and rhyme scheme. [8]
refrain-A word, phrase, line, or group of lines repeated regularly in a poem, usually at the end of each stanza. [7]
repetition-The use, more than once, of any element of language-a sound, a word, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence. [7]
rhetoric-the art of using words effectively in speech or writing. [11]
rhetorical shift-A change from one tone, attitude, etc. Look for key words like but, however, even though, although, yet,etc. [11]
rhyme-The repetition of sounds in two or more words or phrases that appear close to each other in a poem. [7]
approximate/slant rhyme-Two words are alike in some sounds, but not rhyme exactly. (e.g., now & know) [9]
end rhyme-occurring at the ends of lines [7]
internal rhyme-occurring within a line [7]
rhyme scheme-The pattern of end rhymes. [7]
rhythm-The arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables into a pattern. [8]
sarcasm-A type of irony in which a person appears to be praising something but is actually insulting it. [10]
sensory language-Writing or speech that appeals to one or more of the senses. [7]
setting-The time and place of the action of a literary work. [7]
simile-A figure of speech in which like or asis used to make a comparison between two basically unlike subjects. (e.g., She is as flighty as a sparrow.) [7]
soliloquy-An extended speech, usually in a drama, delivered by a character alone on stage. [9]
stanza-A group of lines in a poem, considered as a unit. [7]
subplot-A second, less important plot within a story. [10]
surprise ending-A conclusion that violates the expectations of the reader but in a way that is both logical and believable. [7]
symbol-Anything that stands for or represents something else. An object that serves as a symbol has its own meaning, but it also represents abstract ideas. (e.g., rose=love; flag=country) [8]
synecdoche-A form of a metaphor in which a part of something is used to stand for the whole thing. (e.g., stars and stripes=flag) [12]
syntax-The arrangement of words in a sentence; sentence structure. [7-12]
thesis-A statement of opinion that is the writer’s focus or main idea. [9]
understatement/litotes-Saying less than is actually meant, generally in an ironic way; opposite of hyperbole. [9]
vernacular-The everyday spoken language of people in a particular locality, and writing that imitates or suggests such language; word choice. [8]
ABSTRACT Elements of Literature—those devices which cannot be pulled directly from a piece of literature. Concrete elements help to create these abstract devices. The following terms identify abstract devices
catharsis-The purifying of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions; an emphatic identification with others. (originally applied by Aristotle to the effect of tragic drama on the audience) [10]
characterization-The act of creating and developing a character’s personality. [7]
direct characterization- The author directly states a character’s traits by telling us what the character is like: sneaky, generous, mean, etc. [7]
indirect characterization-A method of characterization in which an author tells what a character looks like, does and says, and how other characters react to him or her. It is up to the reader to draw conclusions about the character based on this indirect information. [7]
connotation-All the meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests. [7]
denotation-The dictionary meaning of a word. [7]
humor-A quality that appeals to the sense of the ludicrous or the incongruous. Its purpose is to make people laugh. [8]
language-The entire body of words used in a text. Language is abstract in that it describes the forces or quality of the diction, images, and details the author uses. It qualifies how the work is written. [7-12]
mood-the feeling created in the readerby a literary work or passage. [8]
pathos-The quality in a work of literature that arouses a feeling of pity, tenderness, or sorrow in a reader. [10]
suspense-A feeling of curiosity or uncertainty about the outcome of events in a literary work. [7]
style-A writer’s characteristic way of writing determined by the choice of words, the arrangement of words in sentences, and the relationship of the sentences to one another. [10]
theme-A central message or insight into life revealed through the literary work. The theme can be stated in a sentence. [7]
tone-the writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward his or her audience and/or subject. Tone can often be described by a single adjective. Often referred to as attitude. [8]
voice-A language style adopted by an author to create the effect of a particular speaker. (The voice of illiteracy, sophistication, experience, etc.) [10]
Types of Writing
allegory-A story or tale with two or more levels of meaning: one literal level and one or more symbolic levels. [9]
autobiography-A form of non-fiction in which a person tells his or her own life story. [7]
biography-A form of non-fiction in which a writer tells the life story of another person.[7]
comedy-A work of literature, especially a play, that has a happy ending. [9]
drama-A story written to be performed by actors. [8]
essay-a short, nonfiction work about a particular subject. [8]
descriptive essay-An essay which seeks to convey an impression about a person, place, or object. [8]
expository essay-An essay which gives information, discusses ideas, or explains a process. [8]
narrative essay-An essay which tells a story. [8]
persuasive essay-An essay which tries to convince readers to do something or to accept the writer’s point of view. [8]
exposition-Writing or speech that explains, informs, or presents information. In the plot of a story or drama, the exposition is the part of the work that introduces the characters, the setting, and the basic situation. [7]
100.fable-A brief story that is told to present a moral, or practical lesson. In many
fables the characters are animals who behave like people. [7]
101.fantasy-A highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life.
[7]
102. farce-An exaggerated comedy that relies on improbable situations, physical
humor and broad wit rather than on in depth characters and believable plots. [12]
103. fiction-Prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events. [7]
104. folklore-Traditional songs, myths, legends, fables, fairy tales, proverbs, and riddles
composed anonymously and either written down or passed by word of mouth from
generation to generation. [7]
105. framework story-A story that contains a story within a story. [10]
106. genre-A division or type of literature. [9]
107. journal-A kind of autobiographical writing, generally a day-by-day record of
events in a person’s life and of that person’s reflections. [7-12]
108. literary journal-A person’s reflections and analysis on a literary work. [7-12]
109. melodrama-A drama that has stereotyped characters, exaggerated emotions, and a
conflict that pits an all-good hero against an all-evil villain. [11]
110. myth-An anonymous traditional story that is basically religious in nature, and that
usually serves to explain a belief, ritual, or mysterious natural phenomenon. [7]
111. narration-A kind of writing that tells a story or relates a series of events. [7]
112. narrative-A story told in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama. [7]
113. nonfiction-Prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real
people, places, objects, or events. [7]
114. novel-A long work of fiction. [7]
115. parable-A short, simple tale from which a moral lesson is drawn. [10]
116. parody-The imitation of a work of literature, art, or music for amusement or
instruction. [10]
117. persuasion-Writing or speech that attempts to convince the reader to adapt a
particular opinion or course of action. [8]
118. prose-The ordinary form of written language (not poetry). [7]
119. satire-A kind of writing that ridicules human weakness, vice, or folly in order to
bring about social reform. [10]
120. science fiction-Writing that tells about imaginary events that involve science or
technology. [7]
121. short story-A brief work of fiction. [7]
122. tall tale-A humorous story that is outlandishly exaggerated. [8]
123. tragedy-A work of literature, especially a play, that results in the downfall of the
main character. [9]
Types of Poetry
124. ballad-A song or poem that tells a story of tragedy, adventure, betrayal, revenge, or
jealousy. [7]
125. blank verse-Verse written in unrhymed, iambic pentameter. [9]
126. concrete poem-A poem with a shape that suggests its subject. [7]
127. dramatic dialogue-A poem which contains dialogue. [9]
128.dramatic monologue- A poem in which a character speaks to one or more listeners
who remain silent or whose replies are not revealed. [12]
129. dramatic poetry-Poetry that involves the techniques of drama. [9]
130. elegy-A poem of mourning, usually over the death of an individual. [11]
131. epic-A long narrative poem that relates the great deeds of a larger-than-life hero who
embodies the values of a particular society. [9]
132. epitaph-An inscription on a gravestone or a commemorative poem written as if it
were for that purpose. [11]
133. free-verse- Unrhymed poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern or meter. It
seeks to capture the rhymes of speech. [7]
134. haiku-A three-line Japanese verse form typically containing seventeen syllables. [7]
135. limerick-A humorous, rhyming five-line poem with a specific meter and rhyme
scheme. [7]
136. lyric poem-Verse that expresses the personal observations and feelings of a single
speaker. [9]
137. narrative poem-A poem that tells a story. [7]
138. ode-A complex and often lengthy lyric poem, written in a dignified formal style on
some lofty or serious subject. [12]
139. sonnet-A fourteen-line lyric poem usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter. [9]
a. Shakespearean/English sonnet-A sonnet which consists of three quatrains and a
couplet. The most common rhyme scheme being: abab cdcd efef gg. [9]
b. Petrarchan/Italian sonnet-A sonnet which consists of an octave and a sestet
with the rhyme scheme being: abbaabba cdecde [9]
c. Spenserian sonnet-A sonnet which consists of three quatrains and a couplet, but
it uses a rhyme scheme that links the quatrains; abab bcbc cdcd ee. [12]
140. spiritual-A folk song, usually on a religious theme. [11]
Poetry Terms used when describing the content and structure of a poem. There are many different terms used in the English language which help when constructing poetry such as the use of metaphors and similes.
Accent The prominence or emphasis given to a syllable or word. In the word poetry, the accent (or stress) falls on the first syllable.
Allegory Allegory is a narrative having a second meaning beneath the surface one.
Alexandrine A line of poetry that has 12 syllables and derives from a medieval romance about Alexander the Great that was written in 12-syllable lines.
Alliteration The repetition of the same or similar sounds at the beginning of words such as tongue twisters like 'She sells seashells by the seashore'
Analogy Analogy is a likeness or similarity between things that are otherwise unlike.
Anapest A metrical foot of three syllables, two short (or unstressed) followed by one long (or stressed). The anapest is the opposite of the dactyl.
Antithesis An example of antithesis is "To err is human, to forgive, divine." by Alexander Pope is an example of antithesis with words and phrases with opposite meanings balanced against each other.
Apostrophe A figure of speech in which someone absent or dead or something nonhuman is addressed as if it were alive and present and could reply
Archetype Archetype is the original pattern from which copies are made.
Assonance The repetition or a pattern of similar sounds, as in the tongue twister "Moses supposes his toeses are roses."
Bard The definition of a Bard is a Gaelic maker and signer of poems.
Blank verse Blank verse is in unrhymed iambic pentameter which is a type of meter in poetry, in which there are five iambs to a line.
Cacophony Lewis Carroll makes use of cacophony in 'Jabberwocky' by using an unpleasant spoken sound created by clashing consonants.
Caesura A grammatical pause or break in a line of poetry (like a question mark), usually near the middle of the line.
Classicism The principles and ideals of beauty, minimized by the use of emotional restraint, that are characteristic of Greek and Roman art and literature used by poets such as John Dryden and Alexander Pope.
Conceit An example of a conceit can be found in Shakespeare's sonnet "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" when an image or metaphor likens one thing to something else that is seemingly very different.
Consonance Consonance is the repetition, at close intervals, of the final consonant sounds of accented syllables or important words.
Connotation Connotation is what a word suggests beyond its basic definition. The words childlike and childish both mean 'characteristic of a child,' but childlike suggests meekness and innocence.
Couplet Shakespearean sonnets usually end in a couplet and are a pair of lines that are the same length and usually rhyme and form a complete thought.
Dactyl A metrical foot of three syllables, one long (or stressed) followed by two short (or unstressed), as in happily. The dactyl is the reverse of the anapest.
Denotation Denotation is the basic definition or dictionary meaning of a word.
Dialect Dialect refers to pronunciation of a particular region of a Country or region.
Doggerel Doggerels are a light verse which is humorous and comic by nature.
Elision Elision refers to the leaving out of an unstressed syllable or vowel, usually in order to keep a regular meter in a line of poetry for example 'o'er' for 'over'.
Enjambment Enjambment comes from the French word for "to straddle." Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence form one line or couplet into the next and derives from the French verb 'to straddle'. An example by Joyce Kilmer is 'I think that I shall never see/A poem as lovely as a tree'.
Envoy The shorter final stanza of a poem, as in a ballade.
Epithet An epithet is a descriptive expression, a word or phrase expressing some quality or attribute.
Euphony Euphony refers to pleasant spoken sound that is created by smooth consonants such as "ripple'.
Euphemism Euphemism is the use of a soft indirect expression instead of one that is harsh or unpleasantly direct. For example 'pass away' as opposed to 'die.'
Falling Meter Trochaic and dactylic meters are called falling meters because they move from stressed to unstressed syllables.
Feminine rhyme A rhyme that occurs in a final unstressed syllable: pleasure/leisure, longing/yearning.
Figure of speech A verbal expression in which words or sounds are arranged in a particular way to achieve a particular effect such as alliteration, antithesis, assonance, hyperbole, metaphor, onomatopoeia and simile.
Foot Two or more syllables that together make up the smallest unit of rhythm in a poem. For example, an iamb is a foot that has two syllables, one unstressed followed by one stressed. An anapest has three syllables, two unstressed followed by one stressed.
Form Form is the generic term for the organizing principle of a literary work. In poetry, form is described in terms elements like rhyme, meter, and stanzaic pattern.
Heptameter A line of poetry that has seven metrical feet.
Heroic couplet A stanza composed of two rhymed lines in iambic pentameter.
Hexameter A line of poetry that has six metrical feet.
Hyperbole Hyperbole (overstatement) is a type of figurative language that depends on intentional overstatement.
Iamb A metrical foot of two syllables, one short (or unstressed) and one long (or stressed). The lamb is the reverse of the trochee.
Iambic pentameter Shakespeare's plays were written mostly in iambic pentameter, which is the most common type of meter in English poetry. It is a basic measure of English poetry, five iambic feet in each line.
Idiom Idiom refers to words, phrases, or patterns of expression. Idioms became standard elements in any language, differing from language to language and shifting with time. A current idiom is 'getting in a car' but 'on a plane'.
Imagery Imagery draws the reader into poetic experiences by touching on the images and senses which the reader already knows.
Irony Irony is a situation, or a use of language, involving some kind of discrepancy. An example of this is ''Water, water everywhere but ne'er a drop to drink'.
Jargon Jargon refers to words and phrases developed by a particular group to fit their own needs which other people understand.
Litotes A litote is a figure of speech in which affirmative is expressed by the negation of the opposite. "He's no dummy" is a good example.
Metaphor A metaphor is a pattern equating two seemingly unlike objects. An examples of a metaphor is 'drowning in debt'.
Meter Meters are regularized rhythms. An arrangement of language in which the accents occur at apparently equal intervals in time. Each repeated unit of meter is called a foot.
Meiosis Meiosis is a figure of speech that consists of saying less than one means, or of saying what one means with less force than the occasion warrants.
Metonymy A figure of speech in which one word is substituted for another with which it is closely associated. Some significant aspect or detail of an experience is used to represent the whole experience.
Moritake Maritime is figurative speech that depends on intentional overstatement or exaggeration.
Onomatopoeia A figure of speech in which words are used to imitate sounds. Examples of onomatopoeic words can be found in numerous Nursery Rhymes e.g. clippety-clop and cock-a-doodle-do.
Paradox A paradox is a statement or situation containing apparently contradictory or incompatible elements.
Pentameter A line of poetry that has five metrical feet.
Persona Persona refers to the narrator or speaker of the poem, not to be confused with the author.
Personification Personification means giving human traits to nonhuman or abstract things.
Quatrain A stanza or poem of four lines.
Refrain A phrase, line, or group of lines that is repeated throughout a poem, usually after every stanza.
Rhyme The occurrence of the same or similar sounds at the end of two or more words.
Rhythm Rhythm is significant in poetry because poetry is so emotionally charged and intense. Rhythm can be measured in terms of heavily stressed to less stressed syllables. Rhythm is measured in feet, units usually consisting of one heavily accented syllable and one or more lightly accented syllable.
Rising Meter Anapaestic and iambic meters are called rising meters because they move from an unstressed syllable to a stressed syllable.
Romanticism The principles and ideals of the Romantic movement in literature and the arts during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Romanticism, which was a reaction to the classicism of the early 18th century, favoured feeling over reason and placed great emphasis on the subjective, or personal, experience of the individual. Nature was also a major theme. The great English Romantic poets include Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, and Keats.
Scansion The analysis of a poem's meter. This is usually done by marking the stressed and unstressed syllables in each line and then, based on the pattern of the stresses, dividing the line into feet.
Simile A figure of speech in which two things are compared using the word "like" or "as" to draw attention to similarities about two things that are seemingly dissimilar.
Slang Slang refers to highly informal and sub-standard vocabulary which may exist for some time and then vanish. Some slang remains in usage long enough to become permanent, but slang never becomes a part of formal diction.
Spondee A metrical foot of two syllables, both of which are long (or stressed).
Stanza Two or more lines of poetry that together form one of the divisions of a poem. The stanzas of a poem are usually of the same length and follow the same pattern of meter and rhyme.
Stress Stress refers to the accent or emphasis, either strong or weak, given to each syllable in a piece of writing, as determined by conventional pronunciation.
Synecdoche Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole.
Syntax Syntax refers to word order and sentence structure. Normal word order in English sentences is firmly fixed in subject-verb-object sequence or subject-verb-complement. In poetry, word order may be shifted around to meet emphasis, to heighten the connection between two words, or to pick up on specific implications or traditions.
Tetrameter A line of poetry that has four metrical feet.
Trochee A metrical foot of two syllables, one long (or stressed) and one short (or unstressed).
Trope Trope is the use of a word or phrase in a sense different from its ordinary meaning.
Understatement Understatement refers to the intentional downplaying of a situation's significance, often for ironic or humorous effect.
Verse A single metrical line of poetry, or poetry in general (as opposed to prose).
Versification The system of rhyme and meter in poetry.
with grade level designation
CONCRETE Elements of literature—those devices which can be pulled directly from a piece of literature
ABSTRACT Elements of Literature—those devices which cannot be pulled directly from a piece of literature. Concrete elements help to create these abstract devices. The following terms identify abstract devices
Types of Writing
- allegory-A story or tale with two or more levels of meaning: one literal level and one or more symbolic levels. [9]
- autobiography-A form of non-fiction in which a person tells his or her own life story. [7]
- biography-A form of non-fiction in which a writer tells the life story of another person.[7]
- comedy-A work of literature, especially a play, that has a happy ending. [9]
- drama-A story written to be performed by actors. [8]
- essay-a short, nonfiction work about a particular subject. [8]
- descriptive essay-An essay which seeks to convey an impression about a person, place, or object. [8]
- expository essay-An essay which gives information, discusses ideas, or explains a process. [8]
- narrative essay-An essay which tells a story. [8]
- persuasive essay-An essay which tries to convince readers to do something or to accept the writer’s point of view. [8]
- exposition-Writing or speech that explains, informs, or presents information. In the plot of a story or drama, the exposition is the part of the work that introduces the characters, the setting, and the basic situation. [7]
100.fable-A brief story that is told to present a moral, or practical lesson. In manyfables the characters are animals who behave like people. [7]
101.fantasy-A highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life.
[7]
102. farce-An exaggerated comedy that relies on improbable situations, physical
humor and broad wit rather than on in depth characters and believable plots. [12]
103. fiction-Prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events. [7]
104. folklore-Traditional songs, myths, legends, fables, fairy tales, proverbs, and riddles
composed anonymously and either written down or passed by word of mouth from
generation to generation. [7]
105. framework story-A story that contains a story within a story. [10]
106. genre-A division or type of literature. [9]
107. journal-A kind of autobiographical writing, generally a day-by-day record of
events in a person’s life and of that person’s reflections. [7-12]
108. literary journal-A person’s reflections and analysis on a literary work. [7-12]
109. melodrama-A drama that has stereotyped characters, exaggerated emotions, and a
conflict that pits an all-good hero against an all-evil villain. [11]
110. myth-An anonymous traditional story that is basically religious in nature, and that
usually serves to explain a belief, ritual, or mysterious natural phenomenon. [7]
111. narration-A kind of writing that tells a story or relates a series of events. [7]
112. narrative-A story told in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama. [7]
113. nonfiction-Prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real
people, places, objects, or events. [7]
114. novel-A long work of fiction. [7]
115. parable-A short, simple tale from which a moral lesson is drawn. [10]
116. parody-The imitation of a work of literature, art, or music for amusement or
instruction. [10]
117. persuasion-Writing or speech that attempts to convince the reader to adapt a
particular opinion or course of action. [8]
118. prose-The ordinary form of written language (not poetry). [7]
119. satire-A kind of writing that ridicules human weakness, vice, or folly in order to
bring about social reform. [10]
120. science fiction-Writing that tells about imaginary events that involve science or
technology. [7]
121. short story-A brief work of fiction. [7]
122. tall tale-A humorous story that is outlandishly exaggerated. [8]
123. tragedy-A work of literature, especially a play, that results in the downfall of the
main character. [9]
Types of Poetry
124. ballad-A song or poem that tells a story of tragedy, adventure, betrayal, revenge, or
jealousy. [7]
125. blank verse-Verse written in unrhymed, iambic pentameter. [9]
126. concrete poem-A poem with a shape that suggests its subject. [7]
127. dramatic dialogue-A poem which contains dialogue. [9]
128.dramatic monologue- A poem in which a character speaks to one or more listeners
who remain silent or whose replies are not revealed. [12]
129. dramatic poetry-Poetry that involves the techniques of drama. [9]
130. elegy-A poem of mourning, usually over the death of an individual. [11]
131. epic-A long narrative poem that relates the great deeds of a larger-than-life hero who
embodies the values of a particular society. [9]
132. epitaph-An inscription on a gravestone or a commemorative poem written as if it
were for that purpose. [11]
133. free-verse- Unrhymed poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern or meter. It
seeks to capture the rhymes of speech. [7]
134. haiku-A three-line Japanese verse form typically containing seventeen syllables. [7]
135. limerick-A humorous, rhyming five-line poem with a specific meter and rhyme
scheme. [7]
136. lyric poem-Verse that expresses the personal observations and feelings of a single
speaker. [9]
137. narrative poem-A poem that tells a story. [7]
138. ode-A complex and often lengthy lyric poem, written in a dignified formal style on
some lofty or serious subject. [12]
139. sonnet-A fourteen-line lyric poem usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter. [9]
a. Shakespearean/English sonnet-A sonnet which consists of three quatrains and a
couplet. The most common rhyme scheme being: abab cdcd efef gg. [9]
b. Petrarchan/Italian sonnet-A sonnet which consists of an octave and a sestet
with the rhyme scheme being: abbaabba cdecde [9]
c. Spenserian sonnet-A sonnet which consists of three quatrains and a couplet, but
it uses a rhyme scheme that links the quatrains; abab bcbc cdcd ee. [12]
140. spiritual-A folk song, usually on a religious theme. [11]
Poetry Terms used when describing the content and structure of a poem. There are many different terms used in the English language which help when constructing poetry such as the use of metaphors and similes.
Accent The prominence or emphasis given to a syllable or word. In the word poetry, the accent (or stress) falls on the first syllable.
Allegory Allegory is a narrative having a second meaning beneath the surface one.
Alexandrine A line of poetry that has 12 syllables and derives from a medieval romance about Alexander the Great that was written in 12-syllable lines.
Alliteration The repetition of the same or similar sounds at the beginning of words such as tongue twisters like 'She sells seashells by the seashore'
Analogy Analogy is a likeness or similarity between things that are otherwise unlike.
Anapest A metrical foot of three syllables, two short (or unstressed) followed by one long (or stressed). The anapest is the opposite of the dactyl.
Antithesis An example of antithesis is "To err is human, to forgive, divine." by Alexander Pope is an example of antithesis with words and phrases with opposite meanings balanced against each other.
Apostrophe A figure of speech in which someone absent or dead or something nonhuman is addressed as if it were alive and present and could reply
Archetype Archetype is the original pattern from which copies are made.
Assonance The repetition or a pattern of similar sounds, as in the tongue twister "Moses supposes his toeses are roses."
Bard The definition of a Bard is a Gaelic maker and signer of poems.
Blank verse Blank verse is in unrhymed iambic pentameter which is a type of meter in poetry, in which there are five iambs to a line.
Cacophony Lewis Carroll makes use of cacophony in 'Jabberwocky' by using an unpleasant spoken sound created by clashing consonants.
Caesura A grammatical pause or break in a line of poetry (like a question mark), usually near the middle of the line.
Classicism The principles and ideals of beauty, minimized by the use of emotional restraint, that are characteristic of Greek and Roman art and literature used by poets such as John Dryden and Alexander Pope.
Conceit An example of a conceit can be found in Shakespeare's sonnet "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" when an image or metaphor likens one thing to something else that is seemingly very different.
Consonance Consonance is the repetition, at close intervals, of the final consonant sounds of accented syllables or important words.
Connotation Connotation is what a word suggests beyond its basic definition. The words childlike and childish both mean 'characteristic of a child,' but childlike suggests meekness and innocence.
Couplet Shakespearean sonnets usually end in a couplet and are a pair of lines that are the same length and usually rhyme and form a complete thought.
Dactyl A metrical foot of three syllables, one long (or stressed) followed by two short (or unstressed), as in happily. The dactyl is the reverse of the anapest.
Denotation Denotation is the basic definition or dictionary meaning of a word.
Dialect Dialect refers to pronunciation of a particular region of a Country or region.
Doggerel Doggerels are a light verse which is humorous and comic by nature.
Elision Elision refers to the leaving out of an unstressed syllable or vowel, usually in order to keep a regular meter in a line of poetry for example 'o'er' for 'over'.
Enjambment Enjambment comes from the French word for "to straddle." Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence form one line or couplet into the next and derives from the French verb 'to straddle'. An example by Joyce Kilmer is 'I think that I shall never see/A poem as lovely as a tree'.
Envoy The shorter final stanza of a poem, as in a ballade.
Epithet An epithet is a descriptive expression, a word or phrase expressing some quality or attribute.
Euphony Euphony refers to pleasant spoken sound that is created by smooth consonants such as "ripple'.
Euphemism Euphemism is the use of a soft indirect expression instead of one that is harsh or unpleasantly direct. For example 'pass away' as opposed to 'die.'
Falling Meter Trochaic and dactylic meters are called falling meters because they move from stressed to unstressed syllables.
Feminine rhyme A rhyme that occurs in a final unstressed syllable: pleasure/leisure, longing/yearning.
Figure of speech A verbal expression in which words or sounds are arranged in a particular way to achieve a particular effect such as alliteration, antithesis, assonance, hyperbole, metaphor, onomatopoeia and simile.
Foot Two or more syllables that together make up the smallest unit of rhythm in a poem. For example, an iamb is a foot that has two syllables, one unstressed followed by one stressed. An anapest has three syllables, two unstressed followed by one stressed.
Form Form is the generic term for the organizing principle of a literary work. In poetry, form is described in terms elements like rhyme, meter, and stanzaic pattern.
Heptameter A line of poetry that has seven metrical feet.
Heroic couplet A stanza composed of two rhymed lines in iambic pentameter.
Hexameter A line of poetry that has six metrical feet.
Hyperbole Hyperbole (overstatement) is a type of figurative language that depends on intentional overstatement.
Iamb A metrical foot of two syllables, one short (or unstressed) and one long (or stressed). The lamb is the reverse of the trochee.
Iambic pentameter Shakespeare's plays were written mostly in iambic pentameter, which is the most common type of meter in English poetry. It is a basic measure of English poetry, five iambic feet in each line.
Idiom Idiom refers to words, phrases, or patterns of expression. Idioms became standard elements in any language, differing from language to language and shifting with time. A current idiom is 'getting in a car' but 'on a plane'.
Imagery Imagery draws the reader into poetic experiences by touching on the images and senses which the reader already knows.
Irony Irony is a situation, or a use of language, involving some kind of discrepancy. An example of this is ''Water, water everywhere but ne'er a drop to drink'.
Jargon Jargon refers to words and phrases developed by a particular group to fit their own needs which other people understand.
Litotes A litote is a figure of speech in which affirmative is expressed by the negation of the opposite. "He's no dummy" is a good example.
Metaphor A metaphor is a pattern equating two seemingly unlike objects. An examples of a metaphor is 'drowning in debt'.
Meter Meters are regularized rhythms. An arrangement of language in which the accents occur at apparently equal intervals in time. Each repeated unit of meter is called a foot.
Meiosis Meiosis is a figure of speech that consists of saying less than one means, or of saying what one means with less force than the occasion warrants.
Metonymy A figure of speech in which one word is substituted for another with which it is closely associated. Some significant aspect or detail of an experience is used to represent the whole experience.
Moritake Maritime is figurative speech that depends on intentional overstatement or exaggeration.
Onomatopoeia A figure of speech in which words are used to imitate sounds. Examples of onomatopoeic words can be found in numerous Nursery Rhymes e.g. clippety-clop and cock-a-doodle-do.
Paradox A paradox is a statement or situation containing apparently contradictory or incompatible elements.
Pentameter A line of poetry that has five metrical feet.
Persona Persona refers to the narrator or speaker of the poem, not to be confused with the author.
Personification Personification means giving human traits to nonhuman or abstract things.
Quatrain A stanza or poem of four lines.
Refrain A phrase, line, or group of lines that is repeated throughout a poem, usually after every stanza.
Rhyme The occurrence of the same or similar sounds at the end of two or more words.
Rhythm Rhythm is significant in poetry because poetry is so emotionally charged and intense. Rhythm can be measured in terms of heavily stressed to less stressed syllables. Rhythm is measured in feet, units usually consisting of one heavily accented syllable and one or more lightly accented syllable.
Rising Meter Anapaestic and iambic meters are called rising meters because they move from an unstressed syllable to a stressed syllable.
Romanticism The principles and ideals of the Romantic movement in literature and the arts during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Romanticism, which was a reaction to the classicism of the early 18th century, favoured feeling over reason and placed great emphasis on the subjective, or personal, experience of the individual. Nature was also a major theme. The great English Romantic poets include Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, and Keats.
Scansion The analysis of a poem's meter. This is usually done by marking the stressed and unstressed syllables in each line and then, based on the pattern of the stresses, dividing the line into feet.
Simile A figure of speech in which two things are compared using the word "like" or "as" to draw attention to similarities about two things that are seemingly dissimilar.
Slang Slang refers to highly informal and sub-standard vocabulary which may exist for some time and then vanish. Some slang remains in usage long enough to become permanent, but slang never becomes a part of formal diction.
Spondee A metrical foot of two syllables, both of which are long (or stressed).
Stanza Two or more lines of poetry that together form one of the divisions of a poem. The stanzas of a poem are usually of the same length and follow the same pattern of meter and rhyme.
Stress Stress refers to the accent or emphasis, either strong or weak, given to each syllable in a piece of writing, as determined by conventional pronunciation.
Synecdoche Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole.
Syntax Syntax refers to word order and sentence structure. Normal word order in English sentences is firmly fixed in subject-verb-object sequence or subject-verb-complement. In poetry, word order may be shifted around to meet emphasis, to heighten the connection between two words, or to pick up on specific implications or traditions.
Tetrameter A line of poetry that has four metrical feet.
Trochee A metrical foot of two syllables, one long (or stressed) and one short (or unstressed).
Trope Trope is the use of a word or phrase in a sense different from its ordinary meaning.
Understatement Understatement refers to the intentional downplaying of a situation's significance, often for ironic or humorous effect.
Verse A single metrical line of poetry, or poetry in general (as opposed to prose).
Versification The system of rhyme and meter in poetry.
(http://www.poetry-online.org/poetry-terms.htm)